Good evening, my name is Geoffrey Homewood and my Great Uncle Royce Thomas Homewood lost his life on this boat. I have a photo of him and another of Royce and his crew, would this be of any interest to anyone?

Dear Geoffrey
Thank you for joining this forum. By all means, please post o photo of your great-uncle. There are several veterans left who read this forum, one might recognise him.
Kind regards
David Carter (Secretary)

Geoffrey
Our database says:
ML 916
Fairmile 112' B-Type Motor Launch
Builder's Yard: William Weatherhead, Cockenzie, UK
Completion: 16th September 1944 Loss or Disposal: 8th November 1944
Notes: ML 916 was mined off the Dutch coast on 8 November 1944. ML 916 was part of the 19th Minesweeping ML Flotilla, and was taking part in Operation Calendar, which along with the invasion of Walcheren, was part of the effort to clear the Scheldt Estuary, to free up the port of Antwerp for use by the Allies. Lieutenant Don Claydon, CO of ML 906, companion boat to ML 916, recounted the flotilla sailing from Antwerp to Terneuzen on the day in question, and commencing to sweep when ML 916, who was next but one ahead of him in formation, blew up on an acoustic mine. He remember seeing the whole ship being blown up into the air, then immediately disintegrating. He managed to recover its skipper, Lieutenant G. G. MacPherson, together with his wardroom steward from the water, but all other hands were lost. Source: Correspondence from Don Claydon to Captain Humphrey Hopper on the Coastal Forces Veterans web site.

Hello Geoffrey - I am Stuart MacPherson, son of Lt G.G.MacPherson skipper of ML 916. You can find the story of the sinking of 916 in the ML section of this site. A picture and any information about your uncle would be most interesting. Through the Coastal Forces Veterans we have lots of detail on 916 and have been trying to find the name of the one other survivor, so far without success.
Very pleased to hear from you, kind regards Stuart.

Last edited by Admin on Thu Aug 09, 2018 11:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason:Added a link to the previous thread on ML 916

Hi Geoff - Just to add that we know my father wrote or visited as many families of those killed on 916 as he could- he lost his left leg so had difficulty visiting and we have been astonished how much information the CFVA hold and have found about 916. It is worth searching their site.

The only details we have of Royce Homewood are those on this website ie his number and where he is remembered, any more information is terrific. I tried to contact the families myself, through local history societies with hardly any success so it is really good to hear from you.

Hi stuart, I wonder if he had contacted my Great Grandfather? He was George Thomas Homewood. I’ve sent over to Kevin a photo of my Uncle Royce and a crew he was with. I don’t have any further information on his record but at some point will order his war record if available.
This is all very fascinating and my father is hoping to visit any memeorial there maybe.

Dear members,
My name is Marcus
and i.m a member of a Dutch researchteam who try to Face our KIA British soldiers at our War cemetery at Bergen op Zoom.
Ons of the soldiers buried here is D.Curtis
volunteer at the H.M.M.L unit 916
From Brighton, Surrey.
I try to Face this soldier and maybe someone can help us with a picture of him???
If not is there maybe an other opportunity
to find a picture of him?